Pinot Grigio is a grey-berried variety native to Burgundy, considered a bud mutation of Pinot Noir, from which it derives, along with Pinot Bianco. Introduced to Italy during the nineteenth century, it found particularly favourable conditions in the north-east, establishing itself above all in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, areas that are now central to its winemaking identity. The vine has moderate vigour and generally ripens early; the leaves are medium-sized, round or wedge-shaped, often three- or five-lobed, with a slightly downy underside. The bunch is small, cylindrical, sometimes winged and fairly compact; the berries, small and oval, have a thin, pruinose skin, greyish-pink or coppery in colour, a characteristic that distinguishes the variety ampelographically. When vinified as a white wine, it produces wines of a straw-yellow colour, sometimes with greenish hues, with a delicate and crisp profile, featuring aromas of pear, apple, citrus, white flowers and subtle mineral notes. On the palate, it expresses freshness, savouriness, balance and a generally light-bodied structure, which can acquire greater complexity through ageing on the lees or in oak. In its more mature forms, it can be cellared for several years. An interesting winemaking variation is ‘ramato’ Pinot Grigio, produced through a brief maceration on the skins, which gives the wine rosé hues, greater intensity and a more complex flavour profile.
